Control mechanism



T.. BROWN.

coNTRoL MEGHANISM Filed se July 6, 1937.

3 Sheets-Sheet l -lNvENToR 'rroRNEYs July 6, 1937. T BROWN 2,086,350

CONTROL MECHANISM Filed sept. 12. 195e 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 6, 1937. T, .BRQWN 2,086,350

`CONTROL MECHANISM JFiled Sept. 12, 193 3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

Patented July 6, 1937 UNITE STA T QFFIQE CONTROL MECHAMSM linois Application September 12, 1936, Serial Nc. 100,516

12 Claims.

'Ihe present invention relates generally to control mechanisms and more particularly to mechanism for periodically actuating the control lever of a power lift device on a tractor for the purpose of raising and lowering at predetermined intervals an implement connected to the power lift device and drawn by the tractor.

The embodiment of my invention, which is disclosed herein, comprises a damming scraper used in connection with a lister. In certain territories in which farming is done by irrigation, or in which rainfall is infrequent, it has been found desirable to place small dams across the furrows in order to prevent water from quickly draining off the eld. These dams are usually formed during the listing operation by drawing a spade-like tool along the furrow directly behind the lister. This tool is so positioned that it lightly scrapes the sides of the furrow and so gradually accumulates a pile of dirt, the scraper being raised at intervals tol deposit the pile of dirt in the furrow to form a dam.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means for timing the frequency of operation of the power lift device for raising and lowering an implement, using a predetermined number of revolutions of the engine as a measure. Inasmuch as the distance traveled by the tractor is also proportional to the number of revolutions of the engine, the dams are thus located at substantially equal intervals.

A further object is to use the existing power take-off shaft for operating the timing device.

Still another object is to provide means for adjusting the intervals between operations in order to vary the spacing between dams, since it is desirable to space the dams closer together when the furrows are steeply inclined than in more level furrows.

Other objects will be made apparent to those skilled in the art by a consideration of the following description and explanation in which reference is made to the drawings which are appended to and forminga part of this application.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan View showing a lister with a damming attachment and a control device embodying the principles of the present invention,

and connected to the power take-olf shaft of the tractor;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the embodiment of Figure l, but with the right wheel removed;

Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the timing device and the method of attaching it (Cl. STT-55) to the power lift control mechanism and to the power take-off shaft; and

Figure 4 is a sectional end view of the timing mechanism taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, more particularly to Figures l and 2, the implement desig- 5 nated generally by the reference numeral I comprises a pair of lister bottoms 2 mounted on beams 3, which extend under the tractor 4 longitudinally of the line of advance, and are pivotally connected to a transversely extending shaft 5 by means of journals 6. Diagonal braces 1 are fastened to the beams 3 by bolts 8, their forward ends 9 being pivotally mounted on the shaft 5. The shaft 5 is supported beneath the 15 tractor 4 by means of supports I0, the shaft 5 being slidable within the apertures in the lower ends of the supports ID. Proper spacing between the bearings 6, the braces 'I and the supports I El is maintained by collars II which are fixed to the shaft 5 by set screws I2.

Depth gauging runners I5 are pivoted by bolts I6 to the beams 3 and extend rearwardly therefrom, the height of the beams 3 above the ground being determined by vertical rods I1 pivoted to the runners I5 and clamped to the beams 3 by U-bolts i8. Thus the beams 3 may be pivoted around the shaft li to. obtain the proper depth of furrow, the depth being maintained by tightening the clamps I8 so that the beams 3 are held at a xed distance from the runners I5.

Immediately behind each of the lister bottoms 2 is a damming scraper 20 having a spadelike tool which is adapted to conform to the sides of the furrow and lightly engage the sides of the furrow to gradually accumulate dirt as the implement advances, so that by the time vthe implement has advanced over a predetermined interval, enough dirt has accumulated to form a dam at which time the Scrapers 2|] are 4D raised to deposit the dirt in the furrow. Each of the Scrapers is supported on an upwardly and Y eye-bolt 26 at the end of the arm 23 and is secured therein by a nut 2l engaging the threaded end 5 'of the rod. Adjustment of this nut 21 on the rod Z5 determines the depth in the furrow at which the damming scraper 20 operates. The operating rods 25 extend forwardly to. pivot joints 28 by which they are rigidly attached to the 55 Y the rear of the housing 35.

power lift shaft 33 at opposite ends, respectively. The power lift shaft is operated by suitable mechanism within a housing 35 and is controlled by a pair of foot pedals 36, which are fixed to a common pivot shaft 3l. The mechanism for operating the power lift shaft 38 does not form a part of the present invention, as any suitable mechanism may be employed. The preferred power lift mechanism is disclosed in a copending application, Serial No. 749,706, led October 24, 1934, by McCormick, Stewart and Worthington, whereby the power lift shaft 30 is rotated clockwise as shown in Figure 2 when the control pedal 36 is actuated and released, andA upon a second actuation and release of the control pedal the power lift shaft Sil returns to its normal position. In Figure 2 the raised position of the damming device 20 is shown by dotted lines.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 3 and 4, the power take-off shaft d@ projects rearwardly from the tractor beneath the power lift mechanism to which is operatively connected the timing device il supported on a bracket Q2 from The timing device comprises a worm i3 which is adapted to slip over the splined end M of the power take-off shaft Q3, and a worm gear i5 which meshes with the worm i3 and is journaled on a shaft 46, which is supported in recesses lil, 48 in a gear housing 4). Gear 45 has a web portion E5 within which is formed a circular groove 5S which is coaxial with the gear 45 and has an enlarged inner portion 57 adapted to receive the heads of bolts 53 which may be inserted through a hole 59. On each of the bolts is supported a cam Sii. Hence by sliding the boltsl 58 around the groove 56, the cams may be positioned in any desired arrangement as will be explained later. A cam follower 6l is journaled on a shaft 62, which is supported in recesses 63 in the housing B9. The follower 6l engages the cam 60 and has a lever 6G which extends forwardly out Aof the housing through an opening 65. An operating rod 66 is pivoted to the end of the lever 64 and extends upwardly through a guide bearing in a member vE58. The latter member is adjustably fixed to a connecting rod 69 by a set screw 12.

,The connecting rod 69 connects the foot pedal 35 with an operating lever 'l0 of the power lift device. A stop 61 is fastened to the operating rod 65 by a set screw I3, and is adapted to engage the member 68 to lift the connecting rod 69 to actuate the operating lever 'i0 of the power lift.

Hence as the power take-off shaft 43 revolves, the Yworm 43 slowly rotates the worm gear 45 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3. As each of the cams 59 passes the cam follower 6|, the latter is momentarily raised, thereby rotating the lever Gli around the axis of the shaft 62, causing the rod S3 to be raised so that the stop Si engages the member 68 to raise the connecting rod 69. The stop 6T can be adjusted along the rod 66 to coordinate the extent of movement of the rod 63 to the required movement of the connecting rod 3S. The foot pedal 36 can be actuated independent of the timing device thereby sliding the member E8 upwardly on the rod 66 away from the stop 57. The preferred power lift mechanism as described in the aforementioned application is of the hydraulic type and is adapted .to be raised 'by one actuation of the control pedal 35, in which position it remains until the control pedal 36 is actuated a second time. After each actuationV of the pedal it is returned to its normal position by a coil spring 'Il which also serves to lower the cam follower 6l to a position where it can engage the next cam 69. Hence two cams Sil are required for each complete raising and lowering cycle. By adjusting the number and the relative positions of the cams on the worm gear d5, the timing of the raising and lowering operations of the power lift device may be adjusted. Thus the interval between two raising operations is determined by a predetermined number of revolutions of the power take-off shaft fil, but as the distance over which the tractor travels in this time is also proportional to the number of revolutions of the power take-off shaft, the distance between the dams formed in the furrows by the damming device 2B can be accurately predetermined.

The beams 3 can be independently raised from earth-engaging position by means of hand levers M, pivotally connected to the tractor at each side thereof, respectively, by bolts l5. At the lower end of each lever l5'is an arm 7S extending therefrom, the arm being connected by a chain ll and a link 'I8 to the respective beam 3. A notched quadrant 79 xed to the tractor is engaged by a latch 80 operated by a handle 8l on each lever 74 for holding the beam at any desired elevation.

The power take-off shaft can be declutchcd by a hand lever 82 in a manner known to the art.

I do not intend my invention to be limited to the particular details shown and described herein, nor do I intend that it be limited to a furrow damming device, as periodic raising and lowering of other implements by the power lift device may be timed by a device of this kind.

What I desire to protect by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

l. In combination with a tractor having a. power take-off shaft and a power lift device including control means therefor, means actuated by said power take-off shaft for periodically energizing said control means to operate said device.

2. In combination with a tractor having an engine-driven shaft and an auxiliary device including control means therefor, timing means actuated by said shaft, for periodically energizing said control means to operate said auxiliary ,device 3. In combination with a tractor having a power lift device, control means therefor, and a shaft, the speed of rotation of said shaft being proportional to the speed of advance of said tractor, means actuated by said shaft for periodically actuating said power lift control means.

4. In combination with a tractor having an enginefdriven shaft and a power lift device including control means therefor, timing means actuated by said shaft for periodically energizing said control means to operate said device,

said timing means including means for adjustably setting the intervals between operations.

5. In combination with a tractor having an engine-driven shaft and a power lift device including control means therefor, means responsive to a predetermined number of revolutions of said shaft, for Yperiodically actuating said control Vmeans to operate said device.

6. In combination with a tractor having anV engine-driven shaft and a power lift device including control means therefor, means responsive to a predetermined number of revolutions of said shaft, for periodically actuating said control means, said actuating means having adjusting means for changing the number of revolutions of said shaft that determine the periods of operation.

7. Apparatus for periodically actuating the control device of the power lift mechanism on a tractor having a power take-off shaft, said apparatus comprising a train of gears adapted for connection to said power take-olf shaft, a cam connected to said gear train and adapted for rotation thereby, a cam follower cooperable with said cam, and means for operatively connecting said follower to said control device.

8. Apparatus for periodically actuating the control device of the power lift mechanism on a tractor having a power take-off shaft, said apparatus comprising a plurality of cams mounted for rotation about a common axis, said cams being peripherally adjustable about said axis, a gear train connected to drive said cams, a cam follower cooperable with said cams and means for operatively connecting said follower to said control device.

9. Apparatus for periodically actuating the control device of the power lift mechanism on a tractor having a power take-off shaft, said apparatus comp-rising a disc, a plurality of cams adjustably secured thereto, a worm gear for` rotating said disc, a worm removably secured to said power take-off shaft, a cam follower cooperable with said cams, and means for operatively connecting said follower to said control device.

l0. In combination with a tractor having an engine-driven shaft and a power lift device including control means therefor, an agricultural implement propelled by said tractor and operatively connected to said power lift device whereby an actuation of said implement can be effected by said device, timing means actuated by said shaft for energizing said control means at predetermined intervals, for operating said device to actuate said implement.

11. In combination with a tractor having a power take-off shaft and a power lift device including control means therefor, an earth-engaging tool propelled by said tractor for forming a furrow, a damming device disposed to follow in said furrow, means for connecting said damming device to said power lift devicewhereby said damming device can be lifted out of the furrow by said power lift device, an-d means connected to said power take-off shaft, for periodically energizing said control means to operate said power lift device.

12. In combination with a tractor having an engine-driven shaft and a power lift device including control means therefor, a furrow-forming earth-engaging tool and a damming scraper adapted to follow said tool in said furrow, said tool and said scraper being connected to said tractor for propulsion thereby, means for connecting said scraper to said power lift device whereby said scraper can be lifted out of the furrow by the power lift device, timing means actuated by said shaft and connected to said control means, for periodically operating said control means at intervals determined by predetermined integrated numbers of revolutions of said shaft, and means for changing the predetermined numbers of revolutions that determine the periods of operation.

THEOPHILUS BROWN. 

